Coral’s current foreign-born international XI: Surprise selections

Rio Mavuba – Midfield (France)
Mavuba is the son of a Zaire World Cup footballer and Angolan mother, but was surprisingly born at sea, due to the Angolan Civil War. He officially gained French citizenship in 2004, after his birth certificate had no nationality printed on it. The Lille midfield destroyer has since turned out for Les Bleus 13 times including against Honduras at the Brazil finals.

Thiago Motta – Midfield (Italy)
Motta makes this side, despite actually representing the country of his birth, Brazil, twice way back in 2003. Due to those games being in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and part of the Under-23 team, he was still free to represent Italy, as he held duel nationality. He currently turns out for PSG, and has been an Azzurri squad regular since his first cap for the Europeans in 2011. Motta has picked up a European Championship runners-up medal, in 2012, with them.

Raheem Sterling – Right wing (England)
England’s next best thing was in fact born in Jamaica, and follows in the footpath of another Three Lions great John Barnes, who hails from the same Caribbean island in the country’s capital of Kingston. The tricky Liverpool winger has lived in England since the age of five, but was once tempted to play for the Reggae Boyz.

Xherdan Shaqiri – Left wing (Switzerland)
Switzerland’s star player Shaqiri actually hails from Gjilan, Yugoslavia, which is now a part of eastern Kosovo. Due to the municipality not yet being granted UEFA or FIFA creditability, Shaqiri represents the nation where he has lived since just after he was born. It’s hard to believe he is still just 22, but has already racked up 40 caps, scoring 13 goals, and plays for one of the biggest clubs in the world, Bayern Munich.

Diego Costa – Striker (Spain)
Another former Brazil two-capped star, and perhaps the highest-profile player of this XI, Costa now controversially turns out for the nation he moved to in 2007, Spain. He certainly wasn’t a popular figure at the most recent World Cup in his back yard. He has just one Spain goal to his name so far, but the striker has been so prolific for both Atletico Madrid and new club Chelsea in recent years.

Gonzalo Higuain – Striker (Argentina)
Napoli attacker Higuain was born in France, when his footballing father was playing there for Brest. The family then moved back Argentina almost a year after the ex-Real Madrid player’s birth, but didn’t actually gain nationality for them until 2007, holding only French citizenship until then, despite not being able to speak the language. Higuain has since turned out for La Albiceleste 45 times, getting an impressive 24 goals.

Subs:
Keiren Westwood – Republic of Ireland, born in England
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa – France, born in Central African Republic
Johan Djourou – Switzerland, born in Ivory Coast
Jonathan de Guzman – Netherlands, born in Canada
Nani – Portugal, born in Cape Verde
Aiden McGeady – Republic of Ireland, born in Scotland
Christian Benteke – Belgium, born in Democratic Republic of the Congo

You can back England at 5/1 to remain undefeated for the rest of their Group E games in Euro 2016 qualifying, and 14/1 to win the finals in France.